Jerry Jones Effect: Why Jason Garrett Won't Succeed As Dallas Cowboys Head Coach

Jason Garrett, congratulations on finally having the "interim" tag removed from your title as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Good luck on your next assignment as full-time head coach of the aforementioned Cowboys.  Because if history has taught us anything, it is that Garrett's tenure as coach in Dallas won't be more than three or four years.

And more than any off-field or on-field decision that Garrett has to make, Garrett's ultimate undoing will be the work of one man: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Now hold on, Cowboys fans, this is not a piece designed to trash the talent or potential talent that Jason Garrett has as head coach of your team.

In fact, I was very impressed with the way Garrett was able to step in after the departure of Wade Phillips and guide this team to a 5-3 record in its final eight games. He reestablished a run-first Cowboys offense that put up points once again, and had the defense playing inspired ball the nation came to expect from them. 

I think with a couple of personnel moves in the offseason the Cowboys could be the favorite to win the NFC East in 2011.

But I wouldn't get too attached to the idea of Garrett running the show in the long term, and more than anything he will do to shoot himself in the foot, it will be Jones who ultimately undermines the success of this franchise with Garrett at the helm.

Because Jerry Jones is a control freak owner who not only cannot hire a front office to make personnel decisions for him, but he has also been known to throw his weight around on the field when he feels it is necessary. 

Any coach who reports to him is not only stuck with players that he chooses, but must coach the team the way he wants or risk being run out of town.  And if you don't believe me, just ask Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey and now Wade Phillips for further proof of this.

It has been said that the way to build a successful coaching staff is for the head coach to delegate an equal amount of responsibility to his assistants, all of whom know more about their specific coaching role (e.g. offense or defense) than their boss does. 

But that could also be true of the front office of any NFL franchise, whose owner has general managers, vice presidents and scouts helping them run the operation smoothly.  So, going off that premise, how can one expect Dallas to have a successful front office when Jason Garrett's direct report is the owner?

In the end, Cowboys fans, you should be excited for the 2011 season, especially with Jason Garrett leading the team.  Just don't get too excited that he will be around three or four years from now, unless owner Jerry Jones starts to relinquish some of the absolute power he has on this franchise.